Wang Xuexin could also take this opportunity to test the combat effectiveness of anti-ship missiles and test the training of missile troops.
In addition, in order to ensure that the Japanese iron and stone troops were severely beaten and disabled, Wang Xuexin specially transferred an artillery detection radar and an air defense system from Taiyuan to Chifeng... This artillery detection radar and air defense system were upgraded with transistors.
It has the advantages of small size, low consumption, low failure rate, and long life.
If transistors were not still in short supply at this time, Wang Xuexin would not only equip Chifeng with one, but would at least have several spare ones.
As soon as the artillery detection radar and air defense system were put in place, the plan to encircle and annihilate the enemy's iron and stone troops was put on the agenda.
The Tieshi troops knew nothing about their own danger, and they still believed that the Eighth Route Army would not launch an attack on the imperial defense line so soon.
There are two weird things about the Iron Stone Troops:
First, the Iron and Stone Forces do not have a headquarters but only a liaison department... The so-called liaison department means intermediary contact and deployment. In principle, it does not have command power but only coordination power.
Second, there are two main bodies under the Iron and Stone Army: an infantry brigade and a cavalry brigade. The brigade commanders have higher ranks than the heads of the Liaison Department: Nan Boyan, the head of the Liaison Department, has the rank of colonel, and the military adviser is a Japanese colonel. Two of his subordinates
The brigade commanders are all Japanese major generals.
So it's obvious that the Iron and Stone Troops are actually two troops instead of one.
Its core command is in the hands of Major General Kaoru Iwata, commander of the Cavalry Brigade (Iron Blood Force), because he commands two cavalry regiments plus a tank battalion (Iron Tiger Force).
Kaoru Iwata positioned his troops behind the defensive line.
This is not because Iwata Kaoru is afraid of death, but because the cavalry regiment, chariot battalion and other mobile units should have been placed on the second line.
Major General Kaoru Iwata would stand on a high platform every day to observe the movements of the Eighth Route Army's defense line on the opposite side.
He behaved like this not because he was worried that the Eighth Route Army would attack, but because he was eager to know what kind of army was on the opposite side!
It's no wonder that Kaoru Iwata has such a strong curiosity. As a member of the Kwantung Army, he has been fighting in the Northeast and has never fought against the Eighth Route Army. He has always only heard their voices but not seen their people.
Today, he finally met this opponent.
After looking at the opposite side with a telescope for a while, Major General Kaoru Iwata asked Qi Wenmin next to him with great interest: "Staff Qi, what is the combat effectiveness of the Eighth Route Army, such as the Anti-Alliance Forces?"
Qi Wenmin is a Shanxi native. He used to be a regiment commander under Yan Laoxi. He often dealt with the Eighth Route Army and knew the Eighth Route Army very well. This was the main reason why Iwata Kaoru chose him as a staff officer.
Qi Wenmin replied: "If it was before, the Eighth Route Army's combat effectiveness was weaker than that of the Anti-Alliance Forces, but now... it will definitely exceed that of the Anti-Alliance Forces!"
Qi Wenmin's evaluation is fair. Previously, the Anti-Japanese War Department had Bear training supplies, and its combat effectiveness was much stronger than the Eighth Route Army's Xiaomi plus rifles.
But now and then, the current Eighth Route Army is not comparable to the Anti-Japanese Alliance.
Major General Kaoru Iwata nodded and asked again: "Do you think we can stop the Eighth Route Army's attack?"
"Yes, of course I can!" Qi Wenmin replied hurriedly.
Just kidding, can we say we can’t win this battle before it’s even been fought?
However, Kaoru Iwata did not intend to let him go just like that. Kaoru Iwata said with a smile: "What I want to hear is the truth!"
"this……"
"Just say it!" Kaoru Iwata put down the telescope, took out the white gloves from his bag and put them on himself. Although the coldest month of January has passed, the temperature is still unbearably cold.
Qi Wenmin looked at his face and was convinced that Iwata Kaoru was not speaking politely, so he replied: "Your Majesty, Major General, I think what we have to guard against is the enemy's mechanized troops! Although we have tanks and cavalry, the Eighth Route Army
However, we have the Hawk-like Sherman and a new tank that can defeat the Tiger, but our army lacks anti-tank equipment. This is very dangerous for us. The Eighth Route Army is likely to tear our army apart.
The defense line penetrates my rear!"
Kaoru Iwata let out a "hmm" in his throat, seemingly very satisfied with Qi Wenmin's answer.
However, he puffed up his chest, raised his head forward, and said: "Have you seen the defense line in front of our army? There are mines of our army for a mile in front, and there are also three anti-tank trenches. Do you think the Eighth Route Army's battle line
Is it that easy for a car to come here?”
"But the Eighth Route Army's half-track car..."
This shows that Qi Wenmin has done enough homework and knows the power of the Eighth Route Army half-track vehicles.
The strength of a half-track car is that it is difficult to block it in the anti-tank trench.
The tank will be blocked because it is heavy, weighing dozens of tons, and once it goes down into the anti-tank trench, it will be difficult to get up.
The half-track car is different. The total weight is less than ten tons. Especially in the rear compartment, you can pile up a pile of sandbags. When you get to the anti-tank trench, you only need to fill the sandbags into the anti-tank trench... and you're almost there.
As for landmines, that is a problem with artillery shells and grenades. Qi Wenmin believes that they may cause some trouble to the half-track vehicle, but it is impossible to block them.
Major General Kaoru Iwata smiled and replied: "Staff Qi, as long as we can block the enemy's tanks, it's enough!"
"But the half-track..."
"We have a tank battalion!" Major General Kaoru Iwata said confidently: "Although our Type 97 and Type 95 are not as good as the Eighth Route Army's 'Sherman' and its new tanks, they are still not as good as them.
A half-track?"
After a pause, Major General Kaoru Iwata added: "What's more, we still have cavalry! Otherwise, what do you think our training during this period is for?"
Qi Wenmin came back to his senses and thought, and then he understood: "What do you mean, Major General, by using a combination of chariots and cavalry to attack enemy half-track vehicles?"
Major General Kaoru Iwata nodded slightly and explained: "Most of the members of our two cavalry regiments are Mongolian. They grew up on horses and have very superb riding skills! Their weakness is that the horses are too fragile and can easily be knocked down by bullets.
But what if our chariots are in front and the cavalry is behind? In such a formation, once we rush into the enemy's half-track convoy, the flexibility of the horses will be reflected!"
Only then did Qi Wenmin realize it, and secretly thought that this Japanese major general actually understood everything and wanted to be ahead.
This is indeed the case. Once half-tracks and tanks get into a melee and the cavalry rushes into the half-track convoy, it will probably be a nightmare for the Eighth Route Army.
Because by then the machine guns, repeating rifles, etc. of the half-track vehicle may not be able to function... If you hit the cavalry with a shuttle, you will probably kill many more comrades than the enemy.
The cavalry, on the other hand, can easily throw grenades and even explosive packets into the compartment of a half-track car.